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Mr Hollande's "official" partner is Valerie Trierweiler (r), but he is alleged to have had an affair with Julie Gayet (l)

France's government has blocked the appointment of actress Julie Gayet, linked to an affair with President Francois Hollande, to a cultural jury.

The culture ministry gave no reasons for blocking Ms Gayet from the jury, which selects scholarships for Villa Medici - the French academy in Rome.

Allegations of the affair surfaced in the magazine Closer last week.

Valerie Trierweiler, Mr Hollande's partner, has been in hospital since Friday with what aides call "shock".

At a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Hollande said he was experiencing a "difficult moment" in his private life.

He refused to answer questions about the allegations, saying "private matters should be dealt with privately".

Ms Gayet has not commented publicly on the allegations.

'Not signed'

The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine said Ms Gayet, 41, had been proposed to the 2014 jury last month by the director of the Academy of France in Villa Medici, Eric de Chassey.

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Media captionFrancois Hollande: "Private matters should be dealt with privately"

The academy's website announced her appointment on its website.

However, the office of Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti said on Wednesday: "Her name was put forward by Eric de Chassey... but the minister has decided not to nominate her. The order has not been signed."

The unpaid jury's role is to select some 15 people to take up cultural scholarships lasting 12-18 months at the Villa Medici, located in the Villa Borghese in Rome.

The academy was founded in the 17th Century and traditionally awarded scholarships to such disciplines as painting, sculpture and architecture, though in recent years it has been broadened to include literature, film, photography and other cultural areas.

On Tuesday, Mr Hollande said it was "neither the time nor the place" to answer questions about his personal life.